1. ALPINE CONVENTION - Platform „Water Management in the Alps“
Work on Hydropower – State of Play
Meeting EU Waterdirectors May 2010, Segovia
K. Schwaiger1,3, S. Müller; M. Pfaundler1,2, P. Dazio2, R. Mair3
1 Presidency of the Alpine Convention’s Platform on Water Management in the Alps, 2 Swiss Federal Office for the Environment, 3 Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management 1 1

2. Outline What is the Challenge? Deliverables
- Hydropower stations in place + impacts, Potential of HP,
- Challenge and Mandate
Deliverables
- Status Report, production of HP per category
- Guidelines
Inspiring examples (see separate presentation) for
- legislative frame; preplanning mechanism in Switzerland
- Refurbishment of HPP, proactive initiative of Upper Austria;

3. Residual water for ecology?
Impacts of HP in place
Residual water for ecology?
Hydropeaking

4. Use of hydropower in Alpine Perimeter
High + still further increasing number of small + micro hydropower plants!

5. Data missing from France + Slovenia

6. Potential of Small Hydropower in Europe
> SHP in place
Data Source: ESHA 2010

7. Challenges Hydropower plants in place:
- Often dating from decades ago
- Mostly without migration aids for fish
- Do not meet modern requirements for residual water
=> Main challenge: to restore good status / GEP
=> Inspiring GP examples in place in MS
2. Directive 2009/28/EC on the promotion of the use from Energy from renewable sources; very ambitious targets;
=> all potential sources will have to contribute to meet goals;
=> new HPplants, including SHP where appropriate
=> Challenge: How to realise a given volume of HP production in a most environmental friendly way until 2020?

8. Challenge: optimisation between two conflicting objectives
Important value of ecosystems and landscape
High hydroelectric potential
Uniqueness of remaining unexploited rivers
National goals for renewable energy
Increase the production of renewable energy from hydropower generation
Minimize the
impairment of the
aquatic ecosystem and landscape
Conflict of interest
good reasons and need for achievement of both objectives!
How to strike a balance between these two overriding objectives?

9. Legal framework RES-e European Renewables Directive 2009/28/EC
Goal: to increase share of energy from renewable sources with target figures for 2020 for each MS
MS set national targets + decide on strategy; e.g. by targets for HP
EU-WFD European Water Framework Directive
Goals: good ecological status of water bodies
No deterioration of status
analogous goals in
Federal Water Conservation Act
Federal Energy Act

10. Xth Alpine Conference + “ArgeAlp”: it’s time to act !
Mandate for Platform Water Management in the Alps, X. Alp.Conference,
The development of recommendations for the sustainable and balanced use of hydropower in the Alpine area, taking carefully into account existing legislation….
Decision at X. Alpine Conference on Climate Action Plan
“to set up guidances for the construction, optimisation or refurbishment of small hydropower plants, in order to lessen the impact on the aquatic biocenosis and biodiversity.”
Resolution of “ARGE ALP” on Energy Policy
“Promotion of small hydropower through information on the possibilities and by identification of suitable sites, taking into account the particular ecological sensitivity of the Alpine area.”

11. Deliverables of platform: (Small) Hydropower Use in the Alps
Three „products“ (deliverable reports)
Good practice examples
Common Guidelines
(Recommendations)
Situation Report
(Insight into issue)

12. Outline/concept of a procedure A concrete methodology
Common guidelines - level of detail: how far are we going?
As (common, Alpine-wide) guidelines they are recommendations endorsed by the Alpine Conference - but not legally binding
Common guidelines
Recommendations
Principles
Outline/concept of a procedure
Pool of criteria
A concrete methodology

13. Guiding principles for new (S)HP facilities are focus of work
Where are the appropriate locations to increase HPproduction in line with national RES-e target?
=> appropriate are ideally locations that provide on the one hand a high hydro - electric potential and have on the other hand a relatively low value of ecology and landscape.
The search for the most appropriate locations should be on a regional level.
How to install new HP? : if new SHP-facilities are being built, all practical steps have to be taken to mitigate the adverse impacts
„where“? => determined only by location-specific criteria; focus of
ongoing work, (no projectrelated criteria) on a regional level
„how“ => additionally based on project-specific criteria (here also technical concepts matter) on a local level

14. Where to place new HP? Strategic planning on a regional level
Development of a regional strategy
classifying the potential appropriateness of water bodies for hydropower use based on location-specific criteria considering the
hydro-electric potential
ecologic and landscape value
of the river stretch
Results (classification of river stretches) can be visualized with maps and serve as “communication tool” to potential investors

15. (which means restrictions and limitations for both sides ! )
Conclusions
Basis for work: Clear committment to respect both overriding objectives, no unilateral maximisation but optimisation !
(which means restrictions and limitations for both sides ! )
Development and promotion of (S)HP to reach the national targets for renewables of HP production:
„Controlled“ increase of production, based on a smart and transparent „use-and-protection pre-planning“ on a regional scale
Strategic planning provides „regional maps“showing the appropriateness of a river stretch for hydropower use;
the relevant (environmental) legal framework is translated into information to the potential investor about the chances for building a HP plant at a certain place.
Results from Strategic Planning will improve decision on authorization of individual projects - regional strategies should be set in place as soon as possible

16. Thank you very much for your attention!